Month: October 2017

Whenever queried about his team’s payroll, Seattle Mariners CEO John Stanton conveys a similar message. His team committed a historical amount of money to salaries last season and there’s room for growth. Another recurring theme; general manager Jerry Dipoto has the necessary financial resources to improve the roster. Stanton is right about his payroll. According to Baseball Prospectus, Seattle started the 2017 season with a team-record $154.3 million in player salaries. Whether the club is spending enough to field a contender is debatable. Let’s assume the Mariners grow their payroll…

The Seattle Mariners have a rather enormous offseason ahead of them. A lot of the club’s tasks include maximizing roster spots without sacrificing future assets, but unquestionably trades will be a part of what GM Jerry Dipoto does to build a team, even after the executive said he’d probably slow down the movement. The club is thin in trade assets, but here are the Top 10, which includes three prospects. 10. Evan White, 1B White has a ways to go but figures to move relatively smoothly through the minors…

There were plenty of good news stories for the 2017 Seattle Mariners. In the end though, misfortune prevailed. The team’s most notable dilemma; an injury-ravaged rotation slogging through a disappointing year with 17 different starters. Trouble initially surfaced when Drew Smyly went down with a season-ending elbow injury in Spring Training. At least the southpaw had a strong start for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic in March. The Mariners’ woes continued once the season got underway. Felix Hernandez and James Paxton each landed on the DL twice and Hisashi Iwakuma…

Last week, we learned the Seattle Mariners began their offseason by reshuffling their field staff. Among the casualties, first base coach and base running mentor Casey Candaele. Media reports suggest the Mariners’ lackluster performance on the bases factored into the 56-year-old’s dismissal. We may never know the full story behind Candaele’s departure, but one thing is certain. A coaching change alone won’t fix Seattle’s base running issues. Sure, a new voice may bring out the best in some. However, there aren’t enough players on the current roster to “coach up.”…